//------------------------------// // Chapter 20-something - Sunshine // Story: Melodies of Friendship // by TalkingToMyself //------------------------------// Pine Creek Valley wasn’t the sunniest town in Equestria. Some of that came from its location deep in the northern forests and surrounded by giant pine trees that blocked out much of the sun. The other reason was that Pine Creek Valley also had more rain than almost any other place in Equestria. It was so far up north that the Crystal Mountains where already in sight, the last natural barrier to the hostile tundra of the frozen north. When warm, humid air from the south reached the mountains, a lot of clouds formed naturally, far more than any weather patrol could ever handle. It also didn’t help that the northern forests had a touch of wild magic in them, not unlike the Everfree Forrest near Ponyville. That wild magic, mixed with the frozen clouds, made heavy rainfall and even storms very common for the area. Maybe that was why pegasus ponies and unicorns didn’t stay long in Pine Creek Valley. The town was more of a big village that a real town with only a couple dozen inhabitants. Most of the ponies who lived here were earth ponies who had specialized in woodwork. It was the rare pony who didn’t have a tree, a saw, a hammer or at least a pine cone in their cutie mark. The whole village was made of wooden huts and houses. Every day, ponies went into the woods to cut trees or grow trees respectively, gather wood or build things out of wood. In Canterlot, noble families and rich business ponies owned furniture made from Pine Creek Valley carpenters and even the Royal Palace paid high prices for it. The wood from Pine Creek Valley was also used in construction, from rustic wood floorings in houses to sturdy bridges crossing rivers or even in railroad constructions. The earth ponies of Pine Creek Valley were happy that Equestria appreciated their craft. For them, the northern forest was the perfect location with plenty of wood for their work, and barely anypony born here ever moved away. Pine Creek Valley was their home and they had grown up in these forests. While the pegasi avoided the region because of the uncontrollable weather and the unicorns preferred the grassy fields of the central lands, the earth ponies endured and adapted to their life in the forest town. That didn’t mean that everything was always sunny in Pine Creek Valley. Sometimes, even the sturdiest of ponies got worn down by days of endless rain. The last storm had started five days ago, but the downpour didn’t make any signs to stop anytime soon. With that, life in Pine Creek Valley had come to a complete stop. Lumberjacks couldn’t find any dry trees, carpenters couldn’t work with soggy wood and even the foresters had less work since the rain would give the pine trees everything they needed. In such times, most ponies stayed at home and took the chance to rest up. In a downpour this long though, many ponies preferred the town tavern over their lonely, same homes. At least here, they had some company as they stared out of the windows and waited for the rain to stop. At the edge of town, a single mare in a yellow raincoat withstood the rain in an effort to save at least some of her garden from the constant flood. In some distance, under the canopy of the trees, her two foals took the chance to play outside for a bit while staying relatively dry in their own raincoats. The mare couldn’t really blame them, nopony could stand being coped up at home for so long, especially the kids. As she was working on her small field of forest carrots, a shriek echoed through the rain and had her look up. Her foals raced up towards her and hid behind her as her youngest shrieked again “Spirit Mare! Spirit Mare!” The mare looked back into the forest where the foals had been playing. The ‘Spirit Mare’ who came to haunt the forest and steal away colts and fillies was an old pony-tale, made up so the foals wouldn’t wander too deep into the forest on their own. She was about to tell her children just that, but her smile died when something moved between the trees. She saw a white figure, shaped like a pony, only she had never seen a pony so white that they glowed in the dark. The ghostly shape weaved in between the trees, slowly but surely approaching them, and without any sound. She felt a shiver run down her spine and backed away from the ghost, pushing her foals towards the safety of their home as she did without taking her eyes of the figure, ready to scream for help or take a run. Just as she was about to grab her foals and dart off, the figure sneezed. The mare blinked and chuckled as her tension just fell off her. Who had ever heard of a sneezing ghost? Now, with her thoughts clear again, she recognized the figure as a young mare with a silvery-white coat, so bright it would reflect even what little light made it through the thick canopy. Now that she was closer, she could hear hoofsteps as well now, which had been drowned in the drumming of the rain before. The un-ghostly pony sneezed and finally, the mare walked up to her. Whatever question she had, it died on her lips when she took in the miserable shape of the young pony, thoroughly wet with nothing to protect her from the rain except a flimsy headscarf and loaded with packs of luggage. “You poor thing, you’re completely soaked!” The young mare, almost a filly still, looked up when she heard the voice. When she saw the houses nearby, she spoke up in a tiny, shy voice “Is this Pine Creek Valley?” The mare nodded and took her hoof, pulling her towards her home “Yes yes, but let’s get you out of the rain first. Who goes wandering through the forest in weather like this?” The two foals watched from a distance but lost some of their fear when they saw that their mother wasn’t afraid at all. They rushed forward to the closest hut and opened the door for the two mares. However, once the traveller noticed how small the hut really was, for a mare and two foals, she hesitated “Um, is there an inn or a hotel in town maybe?” “Well, the tavern sometimes rents out the back rooms for travellers, but you’re welcome to stay with us for tonight.” She shook her head and looked at the foals who were still watching her warily, the younger one hiding behind his older brother “I really don’t want to intrude.” The mare sighed and shook her head “Well, in that case, head to the centre of the town, the biggest house with all the lights on, you can’t miss it.” “Thank you, Ma’am.” The mare watched as the young pony walked into the pouring rain again. -*- The tavern was packed with ponies, as it had been all day. Larch Trunk behind the counter wasn’t overly busy though. Most of the ponies stayed here because of the company anyways, and because he kept the place warm with the large fireplace in the middle of the room. He had the fire running for three days straight now, and even though he wouldn’t run out of firewood, he still wished the rain would stop soon, just like everypony else in town. When the door swung open with a creek, he looked up surprised. That late, he didn’t expect any new costumers. He was even more surprised when a stranger walked in. Visitors were rare enough in Pine Creek Valley, so a young mare during a rainstorm was enough to have everypony wondering. The young mare was packed with luggage and had her mane bound back with a blue bandana. She had a white coat, but it looked more grey right now since she was soaked from head to tail. After a shy glance around, she immediately moved closer towards the fireplace with a relieved sigh when the warmth finally reached her. Larch gave her a moment to settle down, before he left his counter and walked up to her “Evening, Miss. What can I get ya?” The young mare looked up at him shyly with a tiny voice to match “I’ve been told you could give me a room for the night? And, maybe a hot meal?” Larch nodded once, firmly “Sure can do. That’ll be twenty bits, paid up front if you please.” The mare’s ears flopped down and Larch frowned “That… that is more than I currently have.” “Well, then we have a problem here, Miss.” The mare lowered her eyes back on the floor while Larch let his eyes roam over the mare’s saddlebags. He wasn’t going to send her back into the rain, but he couldn’t just give away stuff for free either. His roaming stopped when he noticed a weirdly shaped piece that he recognized as an instrument case. “Can you play on that?” The mare followed his gaze and she nodded as she placed her hoof on the guitar case “Tell you what: Folks didn’t have much besides rain all week. You give them something else for a change, and I’ll see that you got a warm bed tonight.” The mare, for the first time, looked up and met his eyes this time. There was a spark of a challenge in her bright turquoise eyes “And what about dinner?” Larch kept his frown in place. Of course she would get a hot meal, after she had a chance to dry up by the fireplace. But he didn’t have to tell her that right away “Let’s hear you play and if they like it, we’ll see.” The mare agreed with a nod and settled down by the fire more comfortably now. She had spread out her bags so they could dry up, but the guitar hadn't gotten wet inside the case, so she pulled it into her hooves. It was a simple, but nicely crafted piece out of finest wood. Larch Trunk could tell that just by looking at it. The mare fiddled with the strings a little as she waited for the wood to breathe and adapt to the room, then spent a couple of minutes to tune her instrument. By now, some more ponies in the tavern where watching her, including Larch who had returned behind his counter. Just by watching her prepare, he knew that she knew her stuff. While she got ready, he headed into the kitchen to prepare that promised meal. -*- Crystal Note idly strummed over the strings of her guitar. She could finally feel her hooves again and her rain-soaked coat wasn’t as bad anymore. Also, after a whole day of staggering through the rain, the prospect of a bed tonight sounded just heavenly. But first, she would earn that comfort as promised. While she played a few disconnected chords, she glanced through the tavern from the corner of her eyes. Everypony was in a glum mood, from the bad weather and being cooped inside with only little to do. Crystal Note tried to relate how they had to feel, so she could find a song that would reach them right now. A happy, cheery song would be the most obvious distraction. Then again, it would clash so heavily with the dark weather and the depressing atmosphere, it would probably rub them the wrong way. If she wanted to touch them, she had to start from where they were and then slowly move along. Finally, a song came to her mind that would work. It wasn’t one of hers, but it would fit in perfectly and do the job for now. Her hooves moved over the string as she weaved more notes together into a tune, dominated by minor chords and rather slow. As the melancholic melody filled the tavern, more ponies turned towards the fireplace to watch the mare play, but Crystal Note had her eyes closed already as she became a part of the song. After a couple of minutes of playing, she started to sing. Her singing voice was higher than the song she played, but the colour of her voice matched the sadness of her melody. She didn’t sing very loud, but everypony could easily hear her song Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone It’s not warm when she’s away. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone And she’s always gone too long Anytime she goes away… The ponies around her were watching as she played, or they were watching the rain outside. Like the song, they also had this feeling of loss, this feeling of missing something very important. The song didn’t change that, but at least it made their worry a little easier to carry, as it gave them something more tangible than the endless drumming of the rain. It didn’t matter anymore that Crystal Note was a stranger to them, since it was clear she understood. More than a few already hummed along to the melody of the guitar, while leaving the singing to Crystal Note as she continued Wonder this time where she’s gone Wonder if she’s gone to stay Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone And this house just ain’t no home Anytime she goes away… And I know, I know, I know, I know I oughta leave the young thing alone But ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone… This time, when the singing stopped, more voices backed up the strumming of the guitar, and a few even joined in for the last verse of the song Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone Only darkness everyday Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone And this house just ain’t no home Anytime she goes away… Anytime she goes away… Anytime she goes away… There was no big applause when Crystal Note finished her song, nor did she expect some. This was neither the place nor the occasion for something like that. Still, as she played the last chords of her song, a wave of motion ran through the ponies in the tavern. Instead of staring blankly ahead, now the ponies looked at another and a few mumbled conversations started between them. Crystal Note smiled and kept her hooves busy with another tune. She didn’t start singing immediately again. Like her wooden instrument had needed a few minutes to breathe, now she gave her song the same time, carefully testing out where to go next. The ponies were not watching her, at least most of them weren't, but Crystal Note glanced around from the corner of her eyes. As she had hoped for, her song had gone some way to pull their minds out of the grey and monotony of the rain. Now, she was ready to push it a little further. The colour of her music changed again, more abruptly this time. Most of the minor chords were replaced with warmer, happier ones that matched her voice far better. As soon as she had the attention of almost everpony, she dived right into her next song Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life There's a bright and a sunny side too But if you meet with the darkness and strife The sunny side we also may view Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side Keep on the sunny side of life It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way If we keep on the sunny side of life Oh, the storm and its fury broke today Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear Clouds and storms will in time pass away The sun again will shine bright and clear Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side Keep on the sunny side of life It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way If we'll keep on the sunny side of life Crystal Note let her guitar carry on the melody a little longer but before she stopped playing, she glanced through the crowd. She saw smiles, more than before and a few ponies even met her eyes and nodded in appreciation. She returned those smiles, but what she saw when she looked back to the counter had her forget about the audience from one moment to the next. The pony from behind the counter, Larch Trunk, had returned and set in front of her was a big bowl of hot and delicious vegetable soup. The scent alone had her mouth water, even if it was just soup, after a day in the cold rain it smelled like a little piece of heaven. With a bare minimum of table manners, she dove right in. The soup tasted amazing and vanished far too quickly, as did the small loaf of bread she had gotten along with it. Only halfway through her meal, she noticed the mug of spiced tea the stallion had brought her as well. With her food gone, she paced herself through the tea now, as she knew it might be the last warm thing she would get for the night. While she had been eating, the crowd around her got livelier. Ponies were talking with each other again instead of sitting on their own and staring. Crystal Note heard the laughter from everywhere in the tavern when somepony cracked a joke, which happened a lot. While she sipped on her tea, she watched the owner get busy as well since nearly all the tables called for another round. Crystal Note stayed at her seat by the fireplace to get the last dampness from the rain out of her coat, but when the stallion walked past her, he threw a wink at her. She took that as sign that she had earned her promised bed for the night. Even though she was tired, she decided to stay at the fire for a while longer, just enjoying the warmth while outside, the rain kept pouring. With a sigh, she sat down her cup. The tea had been tasty and warming, but now it was gone. Somepony from a nearby table also noticed her empty cup and called out, loud enough to be heard a few tables over even “Hey lady, you give us another song, I'll get you refill. What do you say?” Crystal Note met his eyes and chuckled at the challenge in his grin. Instead of replying, she picked up her guitar once more. This time, she didn't feel for the mood in the tavern like she had before, since many ponies were watching her already. Right now, all they wanted was some entertainment and Crystal Note took a little gamble when she went for an old song, hoping that maybe somepony would recognize it Got on board a train that's headin' out to somewhere Didn't think before deciding what to do Oh, that talk of opportunities, adventure and apple trees Rang true, sure rang true They say it never rains in southern Appleloosa Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before It never rains in Appleloosa But girl, don't they warn ya? When it pours, man, it pours Crystal Note smiled when she heard some chuckles from the crowd, just as she had hoped for. She kept humming along to her melody, joined by a few of her audience once more, until she went for another verse of the song on her own again Out of work, I'm out of my head Out of self-respect, I'm out of bread I'm underloved, I'm underfed I wanna go home It never rains in Appleloosa But girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours By the time the chorus set back in, so did the ponies and sang along. More voices joined the melodious humming this time, even as Crystal Note sung on. By the time she reached the final chorus, it seemed like everypony in the tavern had joined in Will you tell the folks back home I nearly made it? Had offers but didn't know which one to take Please don't tell 'em how you found me Don't tell 'em how you found me Gimme a break, give me a break Seems it never rains in southern Appleloosa Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before It never rains in Appleloosa But girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours The song faded out into a small wave of applause and cheers, so Crystal Note got up and took a bow to her audience. She looked up and shot a look at the pony who had challenged her, he was already gesturing to the tavern owner. Claiming her prize in the form of a fresh cup of brew, she smiled and enjoyed her drink quietly with her guitar resting next to her. By now, the night had arrived and a bulk of costumers left. Larch Trunk also called out last round, so by the time she had finished her tea, only he and Crystal Note were left in the tavern “Come on, Miss. I'll show you your room for the night.” Crystal Note followed into a small, but tidy bedroom. It was clean, dry, and warm, everything was made of pine wood, so the scent of the forest was still present. Crystal Note nodded gratefully at the stallion who left her for the night. She quickly stowed away her few things and climbed into the bed, where she fell asleep just seconds later.